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Legitimate theatre is live performance that relies almost entirely on
diegetic Diegesis (; from the Greek from , "to narrate") is a style of fiction storytelling that presents an interior view of a world in which: # Details about the world itself and the experiences of its characters are revealed explicitly through narra ...
elements, with actors performing through speech and natural movement.Joyce M. Hawkins and Robert Allen, eds. "Legitimate" entry. ''The Oxford Encyclopedic English Dictionary.'' Oxford University Press, 1991. pp. 820-821. "''—adj.'' 5. constituting or relating to serious drama (including both comedy and tragedy) as distinct from musical comedy, farce, revue, etc. The term arose in the 18th c. ... It covered plays dependent entirely on acting with little or no singing, dancing or spectacle."Mark Hodin. "The Disavowal of Ethnicity: Legitimate Theatre and the Social Construction of Literary Value in Turn-of-the-Century America." ''Theatre Journal.'' 52.2: May 2000. p. 212. "The expression ''legitimate theatre''...became vernacular within heturn-of-the- 0thcentury amusement market. The legitimate prefix confirmed the fact that conventional stage plays no longer monopolized the definition of legitimate theatrical entertainment, while, at the same time, asserted that they did (or could), as a strategy for profiting under these new conditions. As such, ''legitimate theatre'' referred to the history of theatre's high-cultural place, most directly to the authority invested in the Patent playhouses of eighteenth century Britain, but it also suggested the sort of literariness associated with ''legitimate drama'', a term familiar to British and American playgoers, actors, and critics in the nineteenth century for distinguishing classic plays (Shakespeare, Molière, Sheridan) from the contemporary melodramas they also enjoyed. As it does today, however, ''legitimate theatre'' made no distinction between good and bad plays; what it proposed and promoted was that, in ''relation'' to other competing forms of commercial amusement, the particular value of conventionally staged drama was that it provided the best occasion and opportunity available for acquiring cultural prestige, "literary" value, commercially." Traditionally, performances of such theatre were termed legitimate drama,Phyllis Hartnoll and Peter Found, eds. "Legitimate Drama " entry. ''The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre.'' 2nd ed. Oxford University Press, 1996. while the abbreviation the legitimate refers to legitimate theatre or drama and legit is a noun referring both to such dramas and actors in these dramas.Mark Hodin. "The Disavowal of Ethnicity: Legitimate Theatre and the Social Construction of Literary Value in Turn-of-the-Century America." ''Theatre Journal.'' 52.2: May 2000. p. 213. Legitimate theatre and dramas are contrasted with other types of stage performance such as
musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...
,
farce Farce is a comedy that seeks to entertain an audience through situations that are highly exaggerated, extravagant, ridiculous, absurd, and improbable. Farce is also characterized by heavy use of physical humor; the use of deliberate absurdity o ...
,
revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own duri ...
,
melodrama A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exces ...
,
burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.
and
vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...
, as well as recorded performances on film and television. Diegetic elements are internal, or related to the imaginary world the characters of the play are depicting. Musical accompaniment that is done for effect on the audience, but not supposed to be part of the experience of the characters in the play, is a non-diegetic element; dancing by characters who are actually portrayed as attending a dance is diegetic; while dancing for the benefit of the audience, as in a
revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own duri ...
or
musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...
, is non-diegetic.
Opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...
, musicals, dance shows and
concert A concert is a live music performance in front of an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, choir, or band. Concerts are held in a wide variety a ...
s all depend on non-diegetic elements, while legitimate theater relies only on actors' spoken words and movements to relate a story. Legitimate theater typically relies on the talents of a small group of actors, or even a single actor, rather than a large, choreographed cast. An example of the difference between legitimate theater and non-legitimate theater is the
William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
play ''
Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...
'' compared with its modern adaptation for the musical ''
West Side Story ''West Side Story'' is a musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. Inspired by William Shakespeare's play ''Romeo and Juliet'', the story is set in the mid-1 ...
''. In Shakespeare's play, the only dancing takes place at a ball where Romeo and Juliet meet. A sword fight is portrayed realistically, without singing or dancing. On the other hand, in ''West Side Story'' much of the plot is delivered in song, and a gang fight is portrayed through an elaborate dance.


History

The terms ''legitimate theatre'' and ''legitimate drama'' date back to the English Licensing Act of 1737, which restricted "serious" theatre performances to the two patent theatres licensedMichael R. Booth. "Legitimate drama" entry. ''The Oxford Encyclopedia of Theatre and Performance.'' Dennis Kennedy, ed. Oxford University Press, 2003. "After 1843 and the
Theatres Regulation Act The Theatres Act 1843 (6 & 7 Vict., c. 68) (also known as the Theatre Regulation Act) is a defunct Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom. It amended the regime established under the Licensing Act 1737 for the licensing of the theatre in Great B ...
, whereby any theatre could play any kind of drama it wished, subject to the censorship powers of the Lord Chamberlain, the distinction between 'legitimate' and 'illegitimate' ceased to have any meaning."
to perform "spoken drama" after the
English Restoration The Restoration of the Stuart monarchy in the kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland took place in 1660 when King Charles II returned from exile in continental Europe. The preceding period of the Protectorate and the civil wars came to be ...
in 1662. Other theatres were permitted to show comedy,
pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...
, opera, dance,
music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as variety. Perceptions of a distinction in Bri ...
or melodrama, but were considered "illegitimate theatre". Everett Wilson speculates that the law may have arisen due to "the fear of theatrical producers that without legal protection both the money and the audience would flow away from the "legitimate theatres" to the lowest common denominator of entertainment in those days, the
music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as variety. Perceptions of a distinction in Bri ...
s." The licensing restricted performances of classical authors and plays—
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
, most prominently—to the privileged houses. The logic behind the step was that the legitimate houses could be
censored Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governments ...
more easily, whilst the illegitimate houses would sell plays of a less serious, less dangerous, primarily entertaining and commercialised format. Illegitimate theatres opened in all the major English cities and towns where they offered
pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...
and musical works, such as opera,
Victorian burlesque Victorian burlesque, sometimes known as travesty or extravaganza, is a genre of theatrical entertainment that was popular in Victorian era, Victorian England and in the New York theatre of the mid-19th century. It is a form of parody music, parod ...
,
burletta In theater and music history, a burletta (Italian, meaning "little joke", sometimes burla or burlettina) is a brief comic opera. In eighteenth-century Italy, a burletta was the comic intermezzo between the acts of an ''opera seria''. The extended ...
,
extravaganza An extravaganza is a literary or musical work (often musical theatre) usually containing elements of burlesque, pantomime, music hall and parody in a spectacular production and characterized by freedom of style and structure. It sometimes also ha ...
,
music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as variety. Perceptions of a distinction in Bri ...
, concerts, dance and
melodrama A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exces ...
, which had musical underscoring played during the dialogue. This changed with the
Theatres Act 1843 The Theatres Act 1843 (6 & 7 Vict., c. 68) (also known as the Theatre Regulation Act) is a defunct Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom. It amended the regime established under the Licensing Act 1737 for the licensing of the theatre in Great B ...
that restricted the powers of the Lord Chamberlain and gave additional powers to
local authorities Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...
to license theatres, breaking the monopoly of the patent theatres and encouraging the development of popular theatrical entertainments, such as saloon theatres attached to
public house A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...
s and
music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as variety. Perceptions of a distinction in Bri ...
s. In the 1890s
club theatre Club may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Club'' (magazine) * Club, a '' Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character * Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards * Club music * "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea'' Brands and enterprises ...
s were founded exploiting a legal loophole. Open only to their members, these houses evaded the censorship law by turning their performances from a public enterprise into a private one. In the 19th century, the term ''legitimate drama'' came to be "widely used by actors of the old school as a defence against the encroachments" of newer types of performance, and this sense of the term spread beyond England to the United States, where like in England, the term conferred a sense of "'literary' value" to traditional stage plays. In the 20th century, the term ''legitimate theatre'' "became vernacular within heturn-of-the- 0thcentury amusement market" and "confirmed the fact that conventional stage plays no longer monopolized the definition of legitimate theatrical entertainment," while serving "as a strategy for profiting under these new conditions" across the English-speaking world. With the advent of recorded media, ''legitimate'' was extended to contrast with motion pictures and television as well. The separation between "legitimate" and "illegitimate" finally formally ended in the aftermath of the scandal Edward Bond's '' Saved'' created in 1965–66. The play was first performed in London in late 1965 at the
Royal Court Theatre The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a non-commercial West End theatre in Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, Englan ...
. The house was licensed to perform serious plays. ''Saved'', however, had not been licensed to be performed as Bond had written it. In order for it to be performed as planned, the Royal Court Theatre had lent its stage to the English Stage Theatre Company and thus turned the performance into a private enterprise under the prevailing laws. The evasion was challenged by the magistrate's court in February 1966 and declared a violation of the Theatres Act 1843 on 1 April 1966. The repeal of the Act in 1968 eventually ended the split between legitimate and illegitimate theatres in England.


See also

*
Diegesis Diegesis (; from the Ancient Greek, Greek from , "to narrate") is a style of fictional, fiction storytelling that presents an interior view of a world in which: # Details about the world itself and the experiences of its characters are reveale ...
*
Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serve merely as breaks ...
*
Musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...


Notes


References

{{Reflist History of theatre Performing arts Stage terminology Theatrical genres